featured – Pam Lindberg Yoga

More backbends this week. This week, prone backbends. I’m not sure if students dislike these backbends more or less than last week’s backbends. Even so, people leave class happy. That’s what happens when the chest gets opened!

Swastikasana – sit crossed legged. *Imaging the collar bones rolling like a roller from bottom to top. Move the tips of the shoulder blades into the chest. Do both.
Adho Mukha Svanasana – downward dog
Block in the back, once vertical, once horizontal. Repeat the actions of collar bones/tips of the shoulder blades
*Bhekasana
*Dhanurasana and parsva dhanurasana (if appropriate)
*Salabasana
*Bhujangasana
*Urdhva Mukha Svanasana
Sirsasana (only in the intermediate class)
Salamba Sarvangasana, drop back to setubandha (at the wall) or Setubandha
Legs up the wall
Savasana

It was a backbend week concentrating on opening the chest and lengthening the thighs to do Urdhva Danurasana in many (many!) different ways, mostly with a chair.

Swastikasana -sitting cross legged
Virasana – hero pose
Adho mukha svanasana – downward facing dog
Blocks along the spine, blocks across the spine
Ardha Bhekasana – half frog pose
Dwi pada vipariti dandasana (not all classes)
Urdhva danurasana – upward bow pose, many versions
(“Rocket man”, seat of the chair, back of the chair)
Salamba sarvangasana or legs up the wall
Chair twist
Savasana

Here are some photos of the set ups for urdhva danurasana:

“Rocket man”